


Breathe In, Breathe Out

by JosephineStone



Category: A Separate Peace - John Knowles
Genre: Community: gameofcards, Drabble, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-27
Updated: 2016-01-27
Packaged: 2018-05-16 12:29:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5829052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JosephineStone/pseuds/JosephineStone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He apologized again and again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breathe In, Breathe Out

Breathe in, breathe out.

It was the only thought Gene was able to process at that moment. 

He'd never seen Finny cry and the sight froze him. Feeling as if he looked away he'd let Finny down in some way, Gene just kept staring at his best friend. What did one do in such a situation? Lies flew to the forefront of Gene's mind but he pushed them away. 

He'd lied too much already. 

Finny laid crippled in the hospital bed and Gene had put him there. There were no words to take that away. He apologized again and again. 

"I know," Phineas said.

It wasn't enough. 

Just like running and training all winter hadn't been enough. There would never be anything Gene could to make up for what he'd taken away from Finny. 

Although he hadn't let Finny know it, he'd always seen the training as a part of his punishment. A way to make it up to him. Gene's jealousy stole Finny's future from him and they had both known it. 

Gene took Finny's hand. That was what one did in moments like this. Finny watched him, his green eyes widening when their skin made contact. 

"What can I do to show you—"

Phineas' eyes dried as he watched Gene mumble the same things over and over again, and he pulled his hand out of Gene's only to move it to his face. The touch shocked Gene into silence. Phineas' thumb brushed across Gene's bottom lip.

They both jumped apart at the sound of a knock on the door. 

It was time for Finny to go into surgery.


End file.
